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Vereen
Arguably the most prominent of the Conclave races, the Vereen are intensely political and have been for as long as the Conclave has existed (and likely even before). Originating along tribal lines, their society is made up of a myriad number of families, trading houses, cooperatives and other political associations, with each individual within the Vereen Hierachy owing allegiance to somewhere in the region of twenty political groups at the height of their power. Defining these interactions is a complex web of deference and social standing, with most political appointments made not only on favours, but how effective a public face an individual keeps. History Origins Based on their homeworld of Verr within the Lagoon Nebula, it's estimated from their records (and their claims) that the Vereen established their first extra-solar colony around 780 CE. This would make them an extremely old spacefaring race and one that seems to have reacted somewhat oddly to the complexities of interstellar government. Where many societies, such as the Terran Republic, attempt to streamline and localise the governance of colonies, the Vereen kept their original layers of politics, but added more beneath. What may at first look like a massive interstellar empire, however, evolved into the Vereen Heirachy, with the leader, the Chancellor, evolving over time to become less their effective ruler, and more the apex of a political Vereen; the ideal to which all other Vereen should aspire. Their first meeting with the Thuul came as something of a shock. Previously a very superior species, seeing themselves as the apex of life on their world, they initially had a poor view of the Thuul, who seemed at first thick-headed, impractical and overly militaristic. Over time, this relationship would develop as the Vereen came t understand the nuances of Thuul thought and managed to gain some measure of understanding of the alien mindset. Eventually, it was the Vereen that provided the impetus for the Conclave, somewhat in order to bring some familiarity to the relationship between the two species. Without a political system governing the relationship, much of the Vereen public was incredibly nervous and unsure of what was going to happen (even after a number of decades had passed and the Thuul hadn't made any overtures of invasion or military conflict). After the first Conclave, the Thuul were on their way to being regarded as equals, and the two species have had reasonably amicable relationships ever since. Current Events At the moment, the Vereen are primarily interested in the continued integration of a number of species into the Conclave, including some manner of resolution between the Essek and the Ravoll (let it not be said that they're unambitious). Like many of the Conclave species, the Vereen fared relatively well during the isolation of the data-Eclipse. Mainly a result of their use of jump-gate technology without the use of quantum computers, the Vereen were eventually able to communicate with nearby colonies (given their proximity within the nebula, albeit after a number of years) and restructure their gates back into a network - the state of affairs before quantum computer technology was traded from humanity. Since that time, the Vereen have begun to develop their own redundant network system in case such a data-crash happens again in addition to pushing for a new agreement and body within the Conclave to build further redundancies into member civilisations' gate networks. Culture Technology As an old spacefaring race, the Vereen are somewhat more advanced than many of the younger races (essentially all of them, with the exception of the Avar and the Pon Thuul) in most areas. Unfortunately, they are slow to develop, with their scientists and other academics more consumed by politics and prestige than the pursuit of science itself. That said, however, there is much prestige to be gained in developing new and interesting technologies for use by the Heirachy, so research does continue to yield results, despite the fact that it takes longer than some other species. The uptake of technology by society sits on a razor's edge of public opinion (even more so than what we might be used to in our own current markets). If a piece of technology is not incredibly useful, or doesn't gain the acceptance of high-profile individuals quickly, then it is likely to fail in being assimilated into daily ife regardless of its objective utility. For the most part, as well, the Vereen prize their own technology over possiby more advanced technologies of others. There have been a few exceptions to this (notably advanced quantum-processor technology developed by the Terran Republic) which have had a utility that have far outweighed such an idiosyncratic attitude. Society The Vereen are a species made up of two sexes, and one that was largely matrilineal in history. The reasons for this seem to be anchored in a long-discarded religious tradition, though the Vereen don't seem to be too keen on revisiting what they say is ancient history. This tradtion placed a high value on families and tribes that had a large impact on their communities, usually by becoming so ubiquitous that one could not help but encounter a family-member. As the female was seen as bearing most of the burden of child-bearing (the Vereen reproductive process is reasonably similar to that of humans) they were afforded the most status under such a tradtion.A genetic crisis some two-hundred years before they became a spacefaring race led to great strides in genetic technology and began to slowly diminish the weight that was paced on the female sex. Now, the gender roles of male and female are completely blurred, particularly in light of the fact that it is possible to change one's sex back and forth at leisure as a result of advanced gene procedures. So if a Vereen born a male wishes to experience child-birth and rearing (still regarded as being something to be praised), then he can make the transition to female, give birth, then revert back if she pleases. Needless to say, the concept of sexuality has largely diminished amongst the Vereen (given the emphasis on procreation, there were significant social stigmas attached to non-procreative orientations before the role of the female diminished). Now many attempt to "broaden" their experiences as they please. Given that there is relatively little physiological difference between male and female Vereen, it is almost impossible to tell the difference between one and another at first glance based solely on mannerisms and gender roles (as none truly exist any longer). As mentioned previously, the Vereen are incredibly political as a whole, and will constantly look for a way to organise their way out of a problem. The first step to organise for a Vereen is to work out a finely grained pecking-order and then assign tasks according to station and prestige. This can be very time consuming, and the Vereen are not noted for quickly reacting to a swift change in circumstances. That said, however, once they are under way, their organisation largely works quite well and there is a high degree of efficiency (often with a degree of social advancement for all those involved). External Relations The Conclave The Vereen suffer from a serious conceit in believing that they largely are the Conclave, and often present themselves as such to other species. While many don't particularly care (the Thuul know how much they contribute to the Conclave and don't particularly care about the Vereen's grandstanding) some are partially disturbed (the Ravoll), some are still in awe of the whole thing (the FTS), and some haven't really explored all the complexities of the Conclave just yet (the Essek). Their desire to identify with the Conclave, however, indicates their focus on political organisation, and they see the Conclave as the template for inter-species interaction - everything ese is inefficient. Such incredible faith in their organisational abilities means that while they are often deeply disliked by races outside the Conclave (such as the Froan and the Republic) they are often the first to engage with any new Conclave proposal and there is complete commitment to the actions of the Conclave from the Vereen Heirachy. The Thuul Unique amongst the Conclave species in that their records extend back to a time when the Thuul were one civilisation, rather than two, the Vereen have come to an appreciation for the extent of Thuul politics as well as determination. While there are many within the higher tiers of the Vereen Hierachy that see the Jag Thuul as nothing more than soldiers and the Pon Thuul as nothing more than Scientists, the majority hold a more nuanced view. While the Vereen see themselves as the core of the Conclave, the Thuul (whether the Jag or Pon Thuul) are seen as the capable right arm, or even the structure underneath prviding strength. Had the Vereen not developed such a complex political culture that cultivated public appearances as well as political standing, then the Thuul may have come to resent such a view. Fortunately, the Vereen are quick to praise the Thuul publicly and stand with their co-founders. In private, however, they are always keen to debate the issue over who really contributes more to the development of the association (though fortunately not to the detriment of inter-species relations). The Ravoll Perhaps with a hint of condescension, the Vereen hold the Ravoll in almost a parental regard. when the Conclave first encountered the Ravoll, their civilisation was largely in ruin. Despite possessing the technology for space-travel and the capability to understand and integrate jump-gate technology, the Ravoll had only inhabited their own star system (their somewhat Earth-like planet, two rocky planets, and three gas-giants with attendant satellites). From what could be discerned, the Ravoll had just exited some manner of internal law. At first the Vereen were keen on intervening and setting up what they saw as best for their society, in order to bring it into the Conclave. Moderated by the Thuul, however, the Vereen eventually decided against this course of action and allowed them the security in which to develop an inter-stellar civilisation and eventual membership in the Conclave. To hear the Vereen tell it, the accession of the Ravoll to the Conclave was a forgone conclusion, given their level of underdevelopment. Located as they are on the outskirts of the Lagoon Nebula, the Ravoll were of no particular territorial interest, but their status as the first possible third species to enter into the Vereen and Thuul's political circle made them subjects of intense interest to the Vereen. Many within the Vereen Hierachy still regard the Ravoll as a proud parent would regard a child, which can cause some tensions in the relationship. For the most part, the Vereen stay out of Ravoll affairs, but when there is some measure of cooperation or contact, the result is usually a restatement of Ravoll independence in addition to whatever was at stake in the first place. The Essek As the newest members of the Conclave, interest in the Essek is in vogue amongst the Vereen. Their almost "faddish" political and cultural society has managed to extract many interesting details concerning the Essek, and there's almost a "new toy" fascination to a few within the Hierachy. That said, however, the Vereen are savvy enough to realise that the Essek are a power in their own right and tend to treat them as such. The fact that the Essek were willing to put war aside in favour of eventually joining the Conclave earned them a large amount of respect amongst the Vereen, who have come to believe (rightly or wrongly) that the Essek have seen the higher value of political associations. What disturbs the Vereen the most, however, is the Essek devotion to their religion and their "god" (which the Vereen prefer to call their "high priest" in private). Despite the fact that political organisation seems to have recently come up trumps with the Essek in the latest course of events, the Vereen are confused by the extent to which the Essek's political system relies on some manner of acquiescence by the religious sect. For now, however, the Vereen's curiousity at a new culture and new political system (which looks interestingly complex and different to their eyes) outweighs their misgivings, though there are a few within the Hierachy that are beginning to wonder if they should agitate for some measure of change within the Essek. The Froan The Vereen have some measure of respect for the Froan, though not quite above the level of official political neutrality. Organised as they are into varied houses, trading collectives, unions and families, there are obvious similarities between the Froan Combine and the Vereen Hierachy. Trade negotiations tend to be tense, however, as some of the more opinionated within the Vereen continue to dangle "well, if you were a member of the Conclave..." offers in front of Combine delegates at almost any opportunity. Fortunately for both sides, however, pragmatism wins the day. Despite the fact that there is some measure of curiousity about the extent of the Froan's political system, however, there is very little interest in pursuing further study amongst the Vereen (aside from necessary research into appropriate protocol). As the Froan are not a member of the Conclave, the Vereen prefer to spend more time focusing on others and building on those that want to play ball with their inter-species organisation. A part of this, although slowly waning, is the belief that eventually the Froan will see the light, and join the Conclave. Most, however, don't really believe this to be the case, given that the Conclave and the Froan have had contact for the last one hundred and fifty years or so. The Avar Of all the species that the Conclave has encountered, the Avar confuse them the most. Avowedly an ancient species, some within the Conclave argue that they must have had some manner of civilisation at some point, though now are either in decline or are to be considered part of some sort of post-civilisation movement, whatever that may mean. The complete lack of overarching hierarchy, organisation or political structure variously disturbs, worries or intrigues many Vereen scholars and there are periods of interest whenever an Avar of some standing visits a Conclave world (though it's not often that such an individual provides new answers). Also, where the Vereen are happy to continually express their openness to membership negotiations to those species that have declined to join the Conclave, these offers are not usually made to the Avar. While the Vereen are enthusiastic recruiters, they can take a hint, and the Avar have been very clear on many occasions that they have little interest in joining the Conclave. Besides, without an overarching political structure, any treaty would be meaningless. As a result, the Avar are usually treated with curiousity, though are largely disregarded by Vereen politicians. The Terran Republic Early relations between the Vereen and the Republic (organised through the Froan) amounted to initial overtures of trade in the interests of building closer ties for a species that was new to encountering alien life. Intense periods of study by the Vereen garnered a great deal of alien interest in humanity, and there was some measure of appreciation for the extent of their political complexities. As adept as they are at navigating complex political arrangements, the Vereen could see instantly the extent of metacorporate influence, and felt that they had something in common (regarding the metacorporates as something like some of their own organisations). What they underestimated, however, was the extent to which these bodies were independent in their own right, rather than working together for a coplex Hierachy. As a result, the refusal of the Terran Republic to join the Conclave came as something of a surprise, and a number of high-ranking Hierachy officials lost a great deal of face in regard to their misapprehensions about human culture. After a period of intense investigation into what had gone wrong, the Vereen let the humans go, almost breaking off contact completely (trade negotiations for quantum-processor technology meant that contact couldn't be severed altogether). Partially out of resentment, though mainly out of embarassment for getting it quite wrong, the Vereen didn't enter human politics until the formation of the Free Terran Systems, when they controversially negotiated the accession of the FTS to the Articles of the Conclave. Now the Vereen are almost (though not quite) spitefulof the Republic. They are quick to point out that the FTS are happy to join the Conclave, so why can't they join as well. It remains to be seen whether or not the Vereen will realise that this is not the best way to deal with a political organisation made up of a very small number of very powerful entities. The Free Terran Systems In some ways, the Vereen were relieved to see the terran Olympus colony break away from Republic control. To their mind, it confirmed their belief that there was something wrong with the way that the humans were organising their society. If the humans themselves could see it and react against it, then the Vereen were obviously right in their first appraisal. Somewhat opposed by some of the Conclave species (the Ravoll amongst them, as well as certain elements within both sides of the Thuul), the Vereen approached the FTS in the hopes of bringing them closer. When the FTS representatives broached the possibility of actually joining the Conclave, the Vereen were almost beside themselves. Now the Vereen see the FTS as the example that has been set for the rest of humanity. They are careful to indicate to the Republic the extent of FTS integration into the Conclave as well as he benefits the regime is enjoying, in the hopes that the entirity of human space may one day join the Conclave properly. Of course, this often results in the Conclave regarding the FTS as nothing more than a tool (essentially a complex marketing exercise), though the FTS are ostensiby so happy with their new allies that this does not tend to colour their relationship. Essentially, the embarassment over their initial misapprehension of the Republic has led the Vereen to blind themselves to further complexities of the new political climate in human space, more-or-less making the same mistakes that led to this circumstance in the first place. Psionic Abilities Psionics is not particularly prevalent amongst the Vereen, even less so than humanity. Occurring in around 1% of the Vereen population, it oddly enough doesn't presuppose itself to telepathy (as one might expect for a social and political species) but in telekinesis. Vereen psychologists observe that individuals exhibiting this talent tend to be rebellious by nature, unwilling to play the political games on which their society is founded yet feeling ultimately powerless to do anything about it. Some of these individuals harbour a great amount of rage, and so end up developing telekinetic abilities, lashing out with their mind when they are forbidden to use their bodies. Many are able to be reformed; convinced of their special nature they are integrated into the body politic, but never seem to shake the conviction that they are apart from it. With few other applications of their abilities, these Vereen often find their way into military service, many developing their arts in subtle ways to become agents of one description or another though many others go on to make considerable contributions to physical research and studies in psionics. Vereen society as a whole walks on egg-shells around these individuals, treating them (rightly or wrongly) as powder-kegs set to explode. This only exacerbates the outsider syndrome among the group, though sadly enough they are so disconnected as a group that they are unable to turn to one another for sympathy. Many go on to find a niche prviding cuttingly controversial, but astute insight into Vereen culture, though some become barely tolerable misfits, something that doesn't particularly assist their reputations. Category:Pages needing work Category:Members of the Conclave Category:Species of Eclipse